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Let's Play

Writing

Mary Neighbour

Thursday, 22 November 2018

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5 Comments

After a few false starts trying to imagine my mother and I creating something together as children, this emerged. I suppose we need to learn to play together first, which is a sort of creating.

The cat and the crow called to me strongly. I think my mother and I had a similar relationship.

Then I found pictures of her and me at about the same age, in similar poses. The dog is an intermediary between us, neither cat nor crow.

I found other pictures of each of us on tricycles, so I put one in the foreground. We both always enjoyed reading, and in my teens and beyond, she and I played Scrabble. We are not in color yet, but I hope that will come.

This is all outdoors because we need a lot of space.

Comments 5

Hannah Neighbour on Monday, 26 November 2018 14:55

I love this so much. It is so intuitively intelligent and profoundly creative. It's like I can feel the healing work going on in you by making and sharing this. I love the inclusion of the animals. That dog is fierce and protective - I love how he's straight on. I love that your inner child knows what she needs -- play as a form of creating, a boundary between you and your mom but also a connection, space, animals, reading, games, LANGUAGE. I love the hope for color. Beautiful and very inspiring. Thank you for sharing this!

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Mary Neighbour on Wednesday, 28 November 2018 08:05

Thanks! I'm glad you mentioned the dog--and you're spot on about it. I hadn't really given this creature much thought. You're also on target about how this collage emerged from my intellect (a safe place for me). Your comments really help me thread the mind-heart needle. I think I'll proceed to create a dialogue between us next.

1 Reply

Hannah Neighbour on Thursday, 29 November 2018 13:53

I actually felt the intelligence of your intuition rather than intellect, but I love the idea of bringing them together here. I feel them both here. There's certainly space for both in creating.

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Ann Marquez on Thursday, 29 November 2018 20:25

I absolutely love this Mary! I saw it a few days ago and it's really stayed on my mind. The mirror image photos of you and your mother is brilliant. The crow and the cat. Let's play. What can I say? I just love it all. Brilliant.

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Mary Neighbour on Saturday, 01 December 2018 09:32

Hey Ann, thanks. I'm feeling mixed up about this one because it feels sort of lifeless to me and I can't appreciate its impact. The animals speak to me most strongly, but the me & mom images and the overall composition seem flat, without dimension. As I mentioned to Hannah in another comment, I tried creating a dialogue between the little girls, but it also was dry and stale. I think it's time to move on . . .

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